The mourning hall was quite crowded, giving off a chaotic impression that bordered on disrespect towards the deceased.
Although the Qinglian Mountain sect considered itself superior to the Wen family, Ren Tianjiang still took the initiative to step outside first. He stood on the steps outside, flanked by his attendants who lined up on either side, all dressed in identical long robes with wide blue sleeves.
Wen Xin walked gracefully forward under the gaze of the crowd, dressed simply in plain white mourning clothes. She stopped at the foot of the steps, bowed, and said, “Wen Xin pays her respects to the Sect Leader and to all the esteemed masters present.”
The entire process was remarkably calm, showing no sign of emotional fluctuation, and her voice remained very steady.
Sect Leader Ren Tianjiang of Qinglian Mountain noticed this as well after observing her carefully. When Wen Mao had previously brought his granddaughter up the mountain and announced his intention to pass the family headship to her, Ren Tianjiang had thought it was nonsense, believing the joke went far too far.
Wen Mao had his own reasons, one of which was naturally to let Ren Tianjiang observe for himself. Consequently, Ren Tianjiang already held a distinct impression of Wen Xin.
He remembered her at that time as a graceful, refined young lady who was prone to blushing easily.
Seeing her now, the contrast with his memory was stark, making her seem like a completely different person. The visual difference struck him with considerable surprise.
Not to mention Elder Fan Wuchou, who frequently interacted with her. He was equally astonished, feeling as though the young lady had suddenly transformed into someone else, displaying an unprecedented level of composure.
Little did they know that Wen Xin herself did not even know how to face them, nor how to cope with the situation.
Previously, she had been submerged in sorrow, tension, anxiety, and fear, drowning in the bloodshed of having taken a life with her own hands, lost in a cold darkness and an endless, lonely wait. Back then, how desperately she had wished for someone to appear, to offer her protection and deliver her from it all.
A vessel of imagination cannot carry a person, the sea of suffering has no bounds, and for those who cannot swim, there is no shore to turn back to. All manner of negative emotions had overwhelmed her.
Tormented by the clash of these negative emotions, with her grandfather’s body still resting in the inner chamber, how was she supposed to face the people before her now?
Would she feel nervous seeing them? Would she be afraid? Or did they expect her to still blush shyly in their presence?
None of that would happen anymore. After enduring such cruel experiences, and reaching this moment of facing everything calmly, there was no going back. She would never again bow her head shyly like a little girl in front of them.
Naturally, her face bore an unmistakable exhaustion and weariness. She had not rested properly for two days and two nights, a first in her life.
Extreme fatigue could numb her negative emotions.
Ren Tianjiang’s gaze fell upon the family headship token in her hand, and he pondered in silence.
Now that the moment had arrived, he still felt hesitant. Was he truly going to hand over the vast Wen family to such a young girl?
Just then, a noisy commotion came from outside. The young masters of the second branch, dressed in mourning hemp, arrived. Wen Yanshang and Wen Yanping rushed in together.
After bowing to Ren Tianjiang and the others on the steps, the two brothers immediately turned to accuse Wen Xin and Wen Kui.
“Our mother has been completely out of contact since last night. How could she just vanish into thin air for no reason?”
“Our mother disappears, and suddenly you appear, Xiner. Now Chief Steward Wen has started arresting people from our second branch on a large scale. If you claim you have no scheme, I doubt even heaven would believe it.”
“Speak. Where have you taken our mother?”
“Sect Leader, we beg you to make a just ruling for the Wen family!”
The two brothers were remarkably slow to catch on. For a while after being poisoned, they had not realised anything. It was only later, after being flattered by the servants and assessing the situation, that they understood they had somehow become the only two heirs to the Wen family. This was beyond their wildest dreams. They had previously assumed the competition was between their father and their eldest uncle. Who would have expected a sudden generational skip in succession? It was as if a massive pie had fallen from the sky right onto their heads.
While they were still figuring out how to compete with each other, before any fratricide could even begin, the situation shifted again. Their mother vanished, and a large-scale arrest targeting the second branch had begun.
Naturally, as long as it was not absolutely necessary, they were still the masters, so Wen Kui could not openly act insubordinate to his superiors.
Someone from the second branch had advised them before being arrested, noting that Wen Kui had managed the Wen family for years and wielded too much power for them to withstand. Fortunately, the Sect Leader of Qinglian Mountain had arrived, and only Qinglian Mountain could counter Wen Kui. They were urged to come quickly, which led to this very scene.
The members of Qinglian Mountain observed the scene before them, their expressions varying.
Make a ruling? Ren Tianjiang did not intervene. Instead, he observed Wen Xin’s reaction with a detached expression. Only after the Wen brothers had pleaded for quite some time did he offer a bland remark, “Family affairs of the Wen clan will not be interfered with by Qinglian Mountain unless absolutely necessary. This is a long-established convention.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Yanshang dropped to his knees on the spot and wailed, “Sect Leader, for all these years, most of the people inside and outside the Wen family have been managed by Wen Kui. If he harbours malicious intent, he will certainly bully his masters and commit treason. We fear we will die without even a proper burial.”
Seeing Wen Xin standing there in silent composure, Wen Kui finally could not hold back and spoke up, “Young Masters, please stop this fuss. The Third Young Miss is the heir designated by the Master before his passing. All matters shall be decided by the Third Young Miss.”
As for the news of Madam Wen Guo’s death, he did not plan to announce it for the time being. Let her remain missing for now.
She is the heir to the family headship? The two brothers were stunned.
They had never considered this sister as a rival. It seemed even less likely than their own sudden ascension as heirs, truly unimaginable even in a dream.
Wen Yanping immediately scolded in anger, “Xiner is a woman, and one soon to be married out. How can she become the head of the Wen family? This is an absolute joke!”
Wen Yanshang pointed angrily and said, “Wen Kui, your sinister motives are fully exposed. You clearly intend to hold Xiner hostage to control the entire Wen family.” He then turned to Ren Tianjiang, bowing and pleading, “Sect Leader Ren, you have seen everything. The Wen family is at a life and death juncture. Qinglian Mountain cannot simply stand by!”
Wen Kui also looked eagerly at Ren Tianjiang, hoping he would announce the truth and confirm that Wen Xin was indeed the Wen family heir recognised by Qinglian Mountain.
However, Ren Tianjiang remained silent and did not provide the answer he wanted. He merely continued to observe Wen Xin’s reaction with a detached gaze.
Wen Yanping suddenly tugged his brother’s sleeve and pointed at Wen Xin’s hand. Wen Yanshang followed his gaze and saw the ring that Wen Mao had worn for years, symbolising the status of the Wen family head.
Suddenly, the kneeling Wen Yanshang scrambled to his feet and lunged directly at Wen Xin, grabbing her hand in an attempt to snatch the ring.
Seeing his brother trying to seize the family token, Wen Yanping grew anxious as well. He immediately rushed forward to join the struggle.
Wen Xin grew somewhat anxious too, not because of the position of family head, but because it was a keepsake left to her by her grandfather on his deathbed. She instinctively clenched her fist to protect it.
Slap!
A loud slap rang out.
Wen Xin fell to the ground at the impact. The ring slipped from her loosened hand and landed in the grasp of the struggling brothers. A distinct handprint quickly appeared on her cheek.
Fan Wuchou frowned and took a step forward, about to speak. However, Sect Leader Ren, standing nearby, raised his hand slightly to stop him, signalling him to let it play out.
Wen Kui hurriedly dropped to one knee beside Wen Xin to help her up and said in distress, “Young Miss, you are the family head. You are the one who makes the decisions. Do you wish for this household to fall into chaos, or to return to peace? Whatever you choose, this old servant and the others are waiting for your command!”
The two brothers were already locked in a struggle, gripping each other’s arms. One believed that whoever held it should keep it, while the other argued that as the elder brother, it rightfully belonged to him.
The Qinglian Mountain party were truly watching a spectacle of family disgrace.
Standing up, Wen Xin looked at the scene, then at the crowd of outsiders watching the drama. Her gaze fell into the mourning hall, and through a gap in the crowd, she saw her grandfather’s body. She finally spoke, “Do not let them disturb Grandfather’s peace.”
“Yes.” Wen Kui nodded repeatedly, turned back, and waved his hand, saying, “Detain those causing a disturbance in the mourning hall!”
He had no choice. Even as the chief steward, he was merely a servant. It was not his place to make decisions for his masters, especially with so many outsiders watching.
The nearby guards immediately swarmed forward, pinned the two brothers to the ground on the spot, and forcibly dragged them away.
“Wen Kui…” Wen Yanping shrieked in desperation, but before he could finish his sentence, someone shoved a hand over his mouth.
They were all men accustomed to instantly carrying out Wen Mao’s orders. Their movements were swift and precise. If you were told to be quiet, you stayed properly quiet.
The ring, representing the Wen family headship token, was pried from the brothers’ hands. Wen Kui caught it with his bandaged hand and respectfully returned it to Wen Xin with both hands.
Wen Xin slowly took it back and carefully slid it onto her thumb. Her cheek still burned with a stinging pain.
Ren Tianjiang walked down the steps one by one, passing directly by Wen Xin without saying a word. He did not even look her in the eye. He simply left, exiting the mourning hall and heading to the quarters where the Qinglian Mountain disciples were stationed.
The rest of the Qinglian Mountain party did the same, strolling away in their wide-sleeved robes.
Wen Kui watched Ren Tianjiang depart, words catching in his throat. He very much wanted to remind him that he ought to announce the young lady as the Wen family head.
Only if the representative of Qinglian Mountain formally declared it could the internal strife of the Wen family truly be quelled. Otherwise, things would only grow more chaotic. When that happened, the Wen family would likely see more challengers emerge than just the Wen Yanshang brothers.
However, in matters such as this, his status did not grant him the authority to force Ren Tianjiang to take a stance.
Ren Tianjiang’s attitude began to fill him with anxiety as well.
The mourning hall instantly fell silent.
Wen Xin entered the mourning hall with a handprint on her face and quietly gazed at her grandfather’s peaceful remains.
After entering, Wen Kui felt compelled to remind her from the side, “Young Miss, you must think this over carefully. Did the Master entrust the Wen family to you on his deathbed?
Young Miss, when the Master told you on his deathbed not to resent him, he did so for a reason.
It would have been fine if you had never been drawn into this. But now that you are involved, making a daughter who is soon to marry out the head of the Wen family is something the entire household will find very difficult to accept.
At the same time, all the collateral branches of the Wen family now see an opportunity to replace the Master’s direct line. Similar shifts have occurred more than once in the history of the Wen family. Faced with such immense stakes, even if the second branch brothers had not stepped forward, the entire Wen clan would undoubtedly rise against you in unison.
If you say the Master passed the headship to you, they will not believe it. If you admit he did not, then you are lying. Either way, the Wen clansmen will not let you off. Whoever emerges victorious will certainly cement the result and ensure there is no possibility of reversal. They will be determined to put you to death.
Young Miss, although the Wen family is your home, you truly have no allies left within it. You are now surrounded by strangers who are all your enemies.
You have stepped into this position. If you cannot hold your ground, if you cannot establish yourself firmly within the Wen family, the consequences for you will be unspeakable. Worse, the entire Wen family will plunge into chaos. Do you truly wish to turn the Master’s heavy trust into such a tragedy?”